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Thursday, 20 March 2014

JOYFUL SPRING

The Birds Nest by Emile Vernon

Spring has come. Birds are nesting and bulbs are blooming again. The Snow Queen did not visit us this Winter in our little village perched atop the borders of Berkshire / Wiltshire but our hearts were cold having lost our beloved cat Isabella in the Autumn.

Love Never Dies - Isabella Elizabeth

Most of England had lots of water and howling wind. Yet overall it was a mild season. We were so much luckier than friends down in the valley, and in Somerset where the floods enveloped their homes and they lost everything. The great beauty of Nature is awe inspiring but sometimes she can be cruel.

Nearby cottages where the river flooded

We will always miss Isabella, gone too young, so naughty, under our feet, on our papers, and into everything but our hearts are slowly beginning to feel warm once more. We have neglected life and now have work to do. Spring and Nature will inspire us.

The Snowdrops were exquisite this year.

The cheeky Jackdaws are back on the church tower.

Mrs Black loves her vintage shawls.

The lodger Munchkin L'Strange

Mrs Black is getting old and the loss of her dearest kitten Isabella was hard for her to bear but Spring is her favourite season. When she is not sleeping snuggled up in her shawls Mrs Black is outside again, minding her tenants, the Mice who live underneath my studio. She is also engaged in discussions of living and dinner arrangements with her other lodger, Munchkin L'Strange, a distant relative of the Black family and one who reverted to the French spelling of his surname after all the trouble his cousin Bellatrix caused.

Woodland scenes are so uplifting and the woods near us are now filled with bluebells.

Detail from Ophelia, Jules Joseph Lefebre (1836-1911)

Enchanting woodland China lifts the spirits. There is nothing like the scent of English Bluebells.This is a Shelley bone china Woodland trio, from ebay

Dear Minerva, happy Spring! We too survived the winter without floods although we drove through Somerset on our way elsewhere and saw the devastation the floods had caused. I'm looking forward to warmer days and going to visit a Bluebell Wood, I love the photo above as well as the woodland teacup and saucer. Happy weekend. Sharon x

Our friends lost their beloved Isabella only yesterday, it is so hard to lose a pet and that gap is always there.Good news about Spring, though. The weather's turned very icy this morning, I do hope its not a false Spring and we really can put Winter behind us. x

Dear Minerva, so good to see you back! Work is a fine sedative for grief (it doesn't take it away, but covers the pain). I love your beautiful spring collection - especially those bluebells! (And the bone china) So sad to see people losing their home - England had a hard winter this year, with the raging storms and floods. Here in Berlin spring comes too - such a good feeling!

Spring has sprung in your neck of the woods! The weather has been "strange" everywhere, I think. You know that Isabella would be wanting to enjoy spring with her family. Beautiful paintings and cute kitties. I love the Shelley teacup! It's like an impressionist painting as is the Aynsley sugar bowl.

I am so, so sorry to hear that your lost your sweet Isabella kitty. I pray that each and every day the wonderful memories you have of Isabella lessen the grief of losing her. Your Mrs. Black and Munchkin are just adorable :) I am very partial to black kitties as you've probably seen on my sidebar. The pattern on your cup, saucer and plate is gorgeous! Your photos of the cottages by the flooding and the bluebells in the wooded area are spectacular. Thank you for visiting our bluebirds and Mr. J :) I'm watering plants for a friend/neighbor who is right now in England for two weeks. How I wish I was with her!! Take care,Donna

Soft pats and purrs to Mrs. Black and Munchkin L'Strange and warmest loving memories to Isabella E. as her spirit dances through your heart.I am glad Spring has found you and the enchanted woodlands, once more.

Dearest Minerva,So glad spring is awakening and it sure will take us along onto its path of renewal. Or in other words, after the grief, back to LIFE!Tragedy is around us everywhere in the form of natural disasters and that's one reason for us to be grateful for so many blessings. Love you incredible Snowdrops!Enjoy the weekend.Sending you hugs and healing.Mariette

Thanks for coming by for a Blog Visit and yes, if you ever make a trip across the Pond there is a Guest Room in the Art Studio Cottage for Visiting Guests... and there's always the 'Haunted' Guest Room in the Main House. *Giggle* So sorry to hear of your loss too... it was very difficult to have my Beloved Yul put down this Month after he contracted Feline Lukemia and was quickly succumbing to it regardless of how much $$$ we spent at the Vet... I still miss him terribly. But this Morning Miss Priss had her Kittens... two of them, one Calico that looks just like her and a Black One. I was glad her litter was small since usually all our Females are spayed but she came to us knocked up. *LOL* With Spring the New Birth is always holding such Promise though don't you think? Blessings and a Hug from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian

Dawn, You know your words and kind invite mean so much to us. I would love to meet you one day. You never know, life is full of adventures, or at least it ought to be. I'd be up for sleeping in the haunted room, ha ha!

So very sorry to read about you dear Yul, Such a loss. Your pictures of wonderful Miss Priss are heart warming. I left you a comment too. Hugs x

The loss of a pet at whatever point in their lives is always so very difficult to bear. But, surely it is always better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all?

There are so many moods of Spring which seems to us such a fickle season. As you say, Nature can be wonderful but also cruel. Our hearts do go out to those whose homes have been put at risk by the floods.

Wow, bluebells already! I don't usually expect them till May, when the leaves are all green, and coming out but I haven't been out in the country much and I realise I haven't seen any bluebell woods, with or without bluebells.

It is so sad when a young animal dies. I t is always particularly difficult, I think.

So sorry to read about Isabella, losing a furry member of the family is hard. The weather has been awful this winter to us all in so many different ways, so to see colour emerging again is an absolute soul lifter xx

Oh I do love bluebell woods, my mum always took us when we were little, back then we picked handfuls....now however when I take my girls we just look! My cat is beside herself at the moment, so many birds to spy, although at the moment she's curled up fast asleep in one of her favourite spots....they know all the best places don't they! Thank you for visiting me and saying Hi :) x

Dear Mrs black...Thank you for finding me again...and leaving the kindest words too!I'm ever so sad to hear of your loss of Isabella....She looks such a pretty kittie...My brother has just lost his hansom Tom, named Frankie, this last week....Ever so sad we have been, we think it was poisoning but can't be sure....Frankie was only two..Furry friends leave gaping holes in our hearts, don't they just!I've loved looking through your beautiful posts..and like your self I feel so happy to see all the newness of spring all around..Take time to dream, my friend...With hugs Maria x

I saw a news coverage about unusually wet England including many flooding. Nature is almost benevolent but sometimes can be cruel. Hope affected people get it over with sooner. I’m glad to know you’ve come to be positive about the late Isabella, she’s so cute. Time has a way of healing and now it’s spring. With best wishes for your springtime.

I'm so sorry to hear about Isabella. I can understand how you feel as I still miss my old cat who passed away three years ago. The story of Mrs. Black, The lodger Munchkin L'Strange, and the mice made my day! Thank you! Your spring woodland looks so beautiful. And thank you so much for your kind words on my blog posts the other day. I took a break for a while and was in Kansai. Have a nice day!

We help forgotten things rediscover life.

a little bit about us

From a tiny victorian workers cottage in the Wessex countryside Mrs Black the shoppe keeping cat and her orange lodger Munchkin LeStrange help us find, rescue and re-invent vintage items to sell.
We especially enjoy researching the origins of each item believing that everything should get the chance to tell it's story.